Feeding mechanism for blanking and forming machines.



B. DE N. ANDERSON.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR BLANKING AND FORMING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.29,1910.

3 4 11 7 m m w mm a m b m V m R am M 4 m M Lnlafl p &M a s 1 E. DE N.ANDERSON. FEEDING MECHANISM FOR BLANKINGv AND FORMING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29,1910.

Patented Feb. 18. 1913 Wiizesses E. DE N. ANDERSON.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR BLANKING AND FORMIN G MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1910.

Patented Feb. 18, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

B. DE N. ANDERSON.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR. BLANKING AND FORMING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, 1910.

1,053,694. Patented Feb. 18, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

we Zine i040 which upheld by the main framework 1. (in the shaft 20 is asprocket wheel 6 from which through a. chain 7 motion is imparted to asprocket wheel 8 on a shaft 63 journaled in the frame 1 at a point belowthe machine bed 14. A chain. 9 transmits motion from a sprocket wheel 8on shaft 63 to the shaft 11, passing around a sprocket wheel ll) on thelattenshaft. Shaft 11 is journaled in the side castings 1.3, 13. of the1'? which is equipped with various grips or clamps for holding the paperWeb or stock and properly delivering it to the action oi the die. Theshaft 11 which is carried by the castings 13 at a. point below the planeof movement of the traveling carriage 17 has thereon a cam mechanismcomprising an elongated drum 12 wherein is out a. multiplicity of3roperly-shape l cam groves to he hereinafter more fully explained andby the action of which the traveling carriage l? is caused toreciprocate transversely back and forth across the. machine carryingwithlllthe paper or ol her material on which the die is acting.

Although it is not necessary in this explanation of the main frame andthe punch and die to enter into any accurate and detailed explanation ofthe precise construction thereof. it will be understood that the punt-h2 may he circular or of any other form and that it may be actuated byany convenient mechanism within the carrier 3, such as is common inmachines of this class.

Ordinarily this punch :2 will he forced downward through material likepaper or paste hoard placed beneath it in such downward movement,cutting out. a section from paper, after which the punch will he lifted"t om the die or retracted into proper posiion for another punchingaction. The revolution oi the top shaft 20 is properly geared to thepunch to .nable it to perform its function, and this same revolutiontakes place in correspondence with the revolution of the cam drum.whereby the feed frame 17 is caused to travel in the right direction,such harmonious movement between the ca m drum and the means for drivingthe punch dcvicebeing smvured through the connecting medium of chains.sprocket wheels and the like. or other equivalent and well known devi vcarriage 1'? may ha ve any losing usually of ageneral angular linen, andlocated 111 a horizontal above another.

I l l position. withbearings or sockets 18 at the corners, through whichthe rods 15 and 16 pass, and by means of which the frame, is supportedslida-bly on said rods and thereby enabled when properly actuated tomore in one direction or the other. from one side of the machine to theother side, along the length or a part of the length of the saidvparallel horizontal supporting guide rods 15 and 16. Of course, thetrans: 17, for the sake. of simplicity and lightness. may' have anyskeleton form desired. andxlhcre i'hay be as many or as few of thesockets or lwarings 18 as will enable it to be properly supported forits necessary movement,

Frame 17 carries in its l'ronl part a hori. zontal rod ll) and oppositethereto at the rear :1 similar horizontal rod 21 which is parallel torod 19, said rods passing tlurough bearings 23., 'lhcsc' rods areprowl-l sccurcd rigidly to the frame 'l 7 either by means of collarspinned thereto alongside oi. the hearings through which said rods .19and 21 pass, or in any other manner. but this securiattachn'ient is ofsuch a kind that the rods will. be. bodily carried back and forth by theframe 1i (luring its rcciprocatory movement. but not of such a characteras will 1 revonl the said rods from rotating to a greater or degreewithin the bearings 72? '23 on the frame l? at trout and hacu. 'lhcserods If) and 31 are connected to ether near their ends by the horizontalrods 2i, and at the rear of frame 17 above rod 21. and adjoining thetable 14 is a horizontal bar)? hetwecn which and the shall. 21 there isa short intervening space. 'lhc rods ll are prei'crahlv arranged inpairs at each end oil the machine (see Fig. 6), each pair being locatedin a vertical plane with one rod These ro s are SllplXll'tttl near theirends in standards ti l which provide loose bearings for them. so thatthey are capable of being rcciproca'licd baclaand forth horizontallythrough said hearings. The l'ioriZonta-l rear bar 253 is secured bysuitable means to those uprights ll nearestto the die of the machine. I

Castings 33 are pinned. or otherwise so curcly fastened to one or bothol. the rods These castings 33 carry rigdly. supported thereon(l:l]1l}')lll1 jaws there being one of these at each side of the machine. Opposite to each clamping jaw is another enacting clamping jaw96. having a socket 34.- supportcd loosely on the lowermost of each pairof rods 24-, and provided with a projecting arm 3'? carrying at. itsouter end an anti-friction roller. at each side of the machine, lprovide in this manner a pair of clamps, each pair consisting of the twomembers 35 and 36, be tween which the material to be fed to the actionoi. the die is gripped and tightly held tor lhe purpose of enabling ithe carried Cit Th u I forwarthas will be hereinafter more fullyexplained. The jaw 3:) of each clamp is supported rigidly relatively tothe jaw 36 while the latter is movable toward away from the jaw 35 inconsequence of "the oscillation of the socket ll on its supporting rod.The movable jaw in each case is no tuated by an arm 38 which is rigidlyattired to the shaft or rod 21, there being thus two arms 38, one ateach end of shaft-2h so that.

in this way the two movable members ol.

the two clamps at the opposite sides of the machine may besiinultant'ously actuated whenever the rod '21 is oscillated or rotated.This oscillation of the rod 21 is accomplished by means of a pin 3!)whose huh -10 is securely fastened to the rod 21.. Pin 3%) has on itsouter end a head or roller 41 which rides upon a track -22 whenever thecarriage 17 travels to the right or left. The track 42 has a'diti'erential level, heinghigher at certain points, and lower at otherpoints, (see Fig. 10, where it. is lowc at the middle and higher at'theends) so that as the finger 3t and this rolleror head ll ride along oversaid track 42, said finger will he at times lifted and at other timesdepressed, and by this operation the shaft or rod 21. will he oscillatedand the arms 38 correspondiugly actuated, thereby depressing the levers$57 and opening or closing" the jaws 36. (in the shaft or rod 521,alongside of the huh it), is a coiled spring -13 attached to the frame17 at one end and to thehuh slit) at the other end, and so tensioned asto force the pin 3%) downward and bring its wheel or head 41 constantlyupon the edge of the track 42. The particular contour of the pathatlordcd by the track v42 will he hereinafter more fully explained.

. The front horizontal rod t9 provided at each end with an upwardlyextending crank arm 31. See Fig. 5. Links 32 are pivotally connected tothe nppcr end of these crank arms ill. and also to the movable castings33, which, as l have pointed out, are securelyattached to the rods 24.The oscillation of the front rod 1'.) in its hearings will obviouslythrow the upwardly projccting crank arm 81, in one direction or theother, a's'tli'e case may he. thereby moving the links 21;; and causingthc castings ;333 and their attached rods it to he reciprocatcdhorizontally in one direction or the other, either forward or back. Thismovement obviously carries the pairs of paper grippin o clamps 35 and 51and thus moves the continuous web of paper or othcr material toward thedie or punt-h. incntsot the clamps to th ir former position is broughtabout by the springs which are attached to the castings it? and to somestationary part of the frame. as stand-- ards o l. The oscillation ofthe shaft 19 The return movcmovement of the clamps may be occasioned byvarious means. and one form of means employed for the purpose which issuccessful in actual practice consists essentially of a roller 21% (seeFig. 9) carried by a pin QT which passes through the rod 19 and alsothrough a hub 28 surrounding said rod 19 near its middle point. The huh5,8 has a n'ojecting tubular part through which also the pin iZTpasses,and to the outer end of said pin is fastened a collar 29. Springs 30attached to the huh 28 are likewise attached to projecting pins orfingers on the collar 25). and these springs have the function of urgingthe collar toward the hub 28 and its socket. and thus causing the heador roller 20 to be normally kept in its outermost position as showninFig. l). When anything acts to push the roller 20 toward the huh itobvious that the springs 30 will be extended temporarily, but they willact. to promptly return the roller 20 to its projected position as soonas the rctruding agency is removed therefrom. The main frame ot themachine alongside ol the front rod 15, andcuntiguous to the trout. rod49 belonging to the movable frame 17, is provided with tracks ll, 15 andH3 in connection with which the roller er rides and is shifted duringthe ltt'lpt'tltfhtOly movement of the frame 17. The special contour ofthese tracks, consisting); as it does of ups and downs, depressions andelevations and gaps, together with surfaces or edges of unequalelevation, causes the roller 26 to shift its position in various waysduring, the movement of the frame 17. and this change of positionoscillatts the rod 19, and thereby moves the arm ll. the links 32. thecastings 33. the rods 24, and the paper gripping devices. Thus it willbe seen that by meansot the roller ll, operating on the track 42. thejaws of the side clamps tor the edges ol the paperarc opened and closed;

and by means o'lthe roller it: running on its irrcgula r tracks in fromthese side clamps are bodily moved torward 1n the direction of thepunching die after the paper has been gripped thereby. being" returnedafter release from the paper by the springs 65.

The rear bar '35. supported by standards (it. carrics near the middleportion thereof a stationary in w -li' forming a .part of a' centergripping dcvicc which is intended to grip the trout end of the paper atthat poinh the other part of said gripper consistinp of a second jaw 48which is carried by a sleeve 49 containing a pill 530. see Fig. 7. Pin50 is sopportcd in the end of a lever arm 51. Adjacent to the pin 50.said lcvcr arm 51 is provided with another pin 59 which carries arollcr3 5. which runs on a track 54. said track being placed alongside of theabove mentioned track 42. The lever arm 51, e).

which is requirite to perform this forward 1 tends to a point i'tear thecorner of the mova ble frame 1'? where it is pivotally hung by means ofa pin 51 to said corner 23. Thus the lei-"or arm St is arranged to movein a vertical plane on its pivot 51., its opposite end carrying theroller 53 that runs on the tract; 5 t. and carrying also the pin whichsupports the movable part of the paper grip or clamp operating at thispoint; for it will be seen that when the jaw 48 grips tight against thejaw *l-T, it will fixedly hold a. sheet of pa cr,paste-hoard or othermaterial. The vibration of the lever 51 and the conse qucnt opening);and closing of the jaws of this center clamp is controlled by means ofthe roller 5? that runs on the track 5-1. This track is not of the samelevel edge throughout, but. irregular according to fixed conditions,having therein depressions and elevations, and as the roller 53 runsthereon the cli'cct will be to open and close the jaw 48. This track 5is lower at the ends than in the middle portion, and as the clamp isclosed when the high part of the track elevates the roller 53 it will beseen that the clamp will be open when the traveling carriage 1'? is atthe limits ot' its travel. and will bonnet-ting a gripping effect whenthe carriage-is running along the middle portion of its travel.

53 designates a long continuous piece of paper stock which is fed intothe machine from a roll of material which is supmrtod on a shaft 57 atsome suitable point .contiguous to the tending mechanism. In

the delivery of the paper to the maclitine there must be enough slack toallow it to follow its crosswise movement easily as shown in Fig. I. Theforward end of the paper placed beneath the punch 2, as shown in dottedlines in Fig. 4, and the op oration of the punch on the paper,pastehoard or other material, produces the result of cutting circular orother shaped. pieces t'roni the paper, as indicated at 58 in Fig. i. andalso in Fig 8. ln order to insure the proper delivciw' oi" the web 553to the die, itis iicccsary that it should be caused to travel not onlyforwardly, but also utter each for- .vaiid uiovcnit'ent it must traveltransvmsely beneath thr die. so that the latter may exerutc a series ofcuts therein from one edge across to the opposite edge in a straightline,

hown in Figs. 1" and 8; and it will be untood that as soon as onetral'isversc series of cuts is completed, the paper will be fed tin-wardso as to bring it in position for a second transverse movement, inorder'that thincx't' series of cuts maybe executed alongside ot thefirst series. Furthermore, and right llkitv comes in the vital part ofmy present innu'oven'ient. it is not sutlicient to merely teed the papertorwardin position for time iii-airing ot the next series of cutsalongside of and opposite to those of the preceding but also at theinstant; of this forward feeding impulse the paper ii'HtSt be given aslight lateral or sidewise thrust, which will stagger the second line ofcuts, so to spealgand cause them to be made at points between those ofthe preceding series as well as in a second series parallel to thefirst, as shown at the points 59 in Fig. 8.

The transverse movement of the carriage 1i' which carries the end of thepaper web across the bed 14 so that it may be subjected to the action ofthe punching die is effected by mechanism consisting essentially of thedrum 12 which, as I have already described, is driven by the sprocket 10on its shaft 11. In the drum 12 are cut numerous circumferential grooves(30 which are parallel to each other for a certain portion of theircurvaturc, but throughout the rest of their length have an inclinedcurved path, as shown at 61. whereby each groove in some cases connectswith the next succeeding groove, and in some cases with the secondsucceeding groove, so that a shoe engaging one. of the circum'terentialgrooves will, during the revolution of the drum, be transferred into thenext succeeding groove or into the second succeeding groove, as the casemay be, and then transferred again when the proper pointis reached, sothat in this manner it will be caused to travel. through a horizontalpath parallel to the axis of the drum.

62 denotes such a shoe which is carried by the frame 17, and ispreferably curved on its lower edge, as shown in Fig. 9, to enable it tomore readily engage the grooves (30, but the arc of the curvature of theengaging edge of the shoe .62 is not concentric with the arc of thebottom portion of the groove 60 of the drum, for the ends of the shoe 62are preferably flared oil so that the connection of the same with thegroove may be of a simple' and easier form, giving thereby a, bettermovement. of the parts.

The mode of coniiluctinp; the shoe to the frame may vary widely. Oneform is given in the drawings which show the shoe (32 having a swivelpin 62 held loosely in frame 17. Ateach end of the drum 12, the curvedconnecting portions 61 of the cam grooves lead from one such groove onlyto the next succeeding groove, and not to the second, as is the casewith the balance of these curved connecting portions of the cam grooves,and hence when the shoe 62 is travcling under the influence of these endcurved connecting portions of the cam grooves, the effect will be toshift the carriage 17 only a part of the distance which it is at othertimes ordinarily shifted during the rest of its travel and during onecomplete revolution of the cam drum, for it is obvious that during onesuch revolution the shoe 62 will only pass from one of thecircumferential grooves into the next circumferential groove, and thiswill only thrust the carriage trans versely the length of the distancebetween one groove and the next groove, whereas during the balance ofthe revolutions of the cam drum until the other end thereof is reached,it is obvious that one revolution oi? such drum will suilicient tothrust the shoe 62 and the carriage for a distance equal The action ofthe to the distance from one of the circumferential grooves 31 to thesecond one from it; This inequality of the movement of the car-- riageand the paper supported thereon at clilierent intervals without anychange in the rate of revolution of the actuating drum, or the number ofsuch revolutions, causes the shifting of the paper in the way that isrequired to produce the staggered effect of the round holes which isnecessary to save wastage of the paper which is le t as the result ofthe cutting out of the different holes.

The action of the lateral clamps is dependent upon the movement of therollers 26 and ll. Roller 26, as has already been pointed out, runs uponthe tracks 44, 45 and 46, which has an irregular and broken contour, asis indicated in plan View in Fig. 4 and which is brought out moreclearly in the several sectional views of Figs. 11, 1'2 and 13, whereinthe position of the roller 26 at different times during the travel ofthe carriage 17 across the machine is indicated. It is seen by referenceto these figures, how the roller 26 is at one time at one angle and atanother time'at another angle, and that in being shifted from oneosition to the other through the contour ot the tracks on which ittravels, the shaft 19 is caused to oscillate to a greater or lessextent, the result of which is to actuate the arms 31 and thereby movethe lateral clamps forward. roller M, in connection with the lateralclamps, and also of the roller 53, is shown more clearly in Fig. 10,where the respective contours or two )arallel tracks 42 and 54 islucidly and grap ically shown (see also the sectional view of Fig. 9).Roller 41 operates on track 42 and roller 53 runs on tracli 54. Thetrack 42 has a depressed section at a point between its ends, whereasthe track filis depressed at the ends lower than for a certain centraltween said ends. When the roller 53 a he ends of the track 54 the jaws4. 7 and are open, but when the roller 53 is on ,the high part of thetrack 54: the jaws 47 and i8 will be tightly closed. \Vhen the roller4-1 is upon the end portions of the track 42, the eliect on the end arms38 is to depress the jaw carrying levers 37 of the lateral clamps andclose the jaws 36 against the jaws 35, thereby tightly grasping thepaper. \Vhen said roller ell is running on the depressed contrav portionof the track 452, the reverse action of the levers 38 will take placewith the result that the jaws 35 and 34) of the lat eral clamps will beopened and the paper distance be,

released. Therefore it will he understood that when the carriage 17 isnear the central part of its travel, the lateral clamps will be openbecause the roller il will be on the depressed section of the track 42;while at this time the central front clamp, consisting of jaws 4t? and48, will be closed because the rollerfi? will he on the high part of thetrack 54. Then the carriage 17 is at either end of its transversetravel, the central front clamp will be open, because, as shown in Fig.10, the roller 53 will he on one of the depressed ends of track 54, thusallowing the jaws 4e? and 48 to separate, while simultaneously theroller 41 will he on one of the high parts of its track 42, causing thelateral jaws to he closed.

Referring to the front bars or rails 44, 45 and MS in association withwhich the roller 26 operates clurinp' the back and forth travel of thecarriage l in order that the movement of said roller 26 mayoscillate theshaft 19 and thuspass the lateral clampnisni at certain times, it willbe seen that it is preferable to locate the bars Maud 46 with a gapbetween them, and to relate them in their positions to the rod 15 andthe shaft 19 as indicated in 9, 11, 12 and 13. if we assume that thecarriage 17 is in the position shown in Fig. l und that it travels ingdevices toward the punching mechatoward the right in the direction shownby 1 osition of the the arrows at 11, 11, the

tie inclined bar roller 26 when itreache. 45 is shown clearly in ig. 11,for when the roller 26 first contacts with the end of the bar 45, thecurved tip of said bar will thereby expanding the springs 30 by removingthe nut 29 from the end of the socket 28; and as the carriage 17continues tow ard the right and the roller 26 rides behind the inclinedbar 45, it will continue to occu y end of the stroke and starts toreturn. When itreaches the end the cut away part ot the bar if) at 67allows the roller :26 to fly out into its normal position, beingreleased at this time from the rear face of the bar 415. and then whenthe carriage .17 moves toward the left and carries the roller 26 withit, the latter will ride upon the upper horizontal edge oi the hair upby the curved part of said edge at (37. and this action will oscillatethe shaft 19 and cause it to result that the lateral clamps will bethrust forward toward the punching die carrying,' the paper forward tothe extent of the movement. of the (-lanips, and the clamps will be heldin engagement with the paper in this forward position while the roller26 is moving upon the upper edge of the bar 45; but when the gap betweenthe bar 45 and the bar 44 is reached and the roller 26 falls off the endof bar 45, it is cause the roller 26 to he thrust inwardly,

this thrust in position until itreaches t e 45, being lifted obviousthat the springs 65 will come into action and draw the lateral clampsback into their former position in which they will remain until theroller 26 reaches a point near the end of the left hand travel of theframe 17' where it will be raised by the curved part 68 of the rear bar46 which is directly behind the bar 1-4. The grip ping of the paper bythe lateral clamps takes place, as I have already explained, in such away that the" grip is maintained except when the carriage 17, is nearthe central of its travel, at which time the center clamp is alonegripping and holding the paper, for the side clamps must, of course,

have the paper in their grasp promptly when they are moved forwardlytoward the punching die by, the movement of the roller 26 into theposition which it occupies in Fig. l3. It is obvious, of course, thatthe tracks 12 and 54 at the rear of the machine overlap each other to .agreater or less extent, so that there are times when both the centerclamp and the lateral clamps concurrently grip the paper; but it isessential that the center clamp should be released from the paper at thetimes when the lateral clamps are to operate to give it the forward impulse, and it is also essential that the con-- 'ter clamp should holdthe firmly when the lateral camps have been released from the paper andare being.

aper alone very thrust back into their normal position to grip it againfurther back. Pursuing the movement of the roller 26 duringitsfurthertravel across the machine under the action of thereciprocating frame 17, it will be noted that after it leaves the trackand passes the gap between the track 45 and the.

track 44 it willride easily behind the track 4 1- which ie inclined,hutwill not be thrust in so as to expand the springs 30; and when thelifting curve 68 is reached the roller 26 will then pass from itsinclined position,

as indicated in Fig. 12, to its uplifted position as indicated in Fig.13, the position it occupies when the shat 19 is being oscillated andthe-lateral clamps thrown back;

and when the reverse movement of the carriage takes place and the roller26 moves again toward the right, it will ride up n the upper edge of thetrack H as shown in Fig- 13, keeping in this position until near thecenterof the transverse travel of 'the frame 17, during all which time'the clamps will remain in the position to which they have been thrustforward until the roller 26 drops off the end of the track 1% into thegap between the track 4 1 and -15 and, allows thereby the shaft 19 tooscillate back again into its former position under the action of thesprings which draw back the clamps and the levers which operate thelatter. Thus it will be seen that the tracks 14, 15 and 46 differ fromeach other 1 cutting action,

the lateral clamps to cause said movement to take place at the rightpoint of time.

When the paper stock is fed forward toward the die by this movement ofthe lateral clamps, the carriage is either beginning its travel towardthe left or is about to conclude one of these transverse travels, as isapparent from what I have just said regarding the lifting of the roller26 by means of the curved edge 67 of track 45, or the curved edge 68 oftrack 46, and simultaneously, as I have already pointed out, with theactive movement of the lateral clamps for carrying the paper forwardoccurs the movement to the left which causes the staggering of theposition of the cuts. This is manifest when it is noticed how the curvedportions 61 of the grooves in the cam 12 are arranged, there being sucha \curved part when the right hand end of the drum 12 which enables theshoe 62 to be transferred from one of the circumferential grooves 60 tothe next one instead of to the second one from it, and there being alsonear the left hand end of the drum 60 another one of these curvedconnecting grooves 61 by which the shoe 62 is transferred from onecircumferential groove to the next succeeding one, so that. in thetravel of the carriage 17 from the right toward theleft there is anapparently short movement of the carriage at the beginning and one atthe end of the travel, while the movements between. these are lhhger."When speaking, of these movements, of course, the paper is referred toand the movements are-those .Which carry it under the die, so that thelatter may execute. its and. the variation in the length of the movementas produced by the different curves which connect the grooves in the camcauses the staggering result from which so much follows in the operationof my machine in saving paper stock from waste. I

From the previous description of the construction and relativearrangement of the various parts, the operation will be pe"- ceived in ageneral way by. those skilledin the art, especially when it isnotcd whataction takes place in the moven ient of the roller 26 along the upperedge of the tracks 44 and i andthe curved parts til' and 68. near theeXtrr-niities of said tracks 45 and 41. Re-

peating briefly what has already been said,

it will be seen that the paper isdelivered into the machine above thebed14 by the lateral clamps which are; caused to grip the paper and hold itduring its movement with certain exceptions as noted, and then at timesthese clamps are caused to move forward toward the die or punch a shortdis tanee carrying the paper stoekalong and ters Patent, is:

osses;

placing the latter in position for the die to I means including areciprocating carril'lgc punch a new row of holes. The grasp of the)aper by the lateral clamps is nminiained 'or a part of the time, whilethe paper being fed transvcrsel y across the machine; but when the endof this transverse move-- ment is reached these cl mops will themselveshe moved forward. When the lateral clumps move forward, the center frontclan'ip Willform no obstruction to such forward movement, .tor hav ng lien previously re leased by the proper action oi. the roller Till, thepaper slipped forward through said clamp. litter the paper has sohccn'fed forward, the center front clamp will again grasp it and hold itduring the subsequent.

transverse movement of the carriage 17. This movement will be repeatedcontinu-- ously during the entire operation ot the more chine, thecarriage l7 reciprocating from one side to the other and carrying withit the pa er. At each reciprocation, after one row 0 holes has been cut,the clamps at the sides operate to move the pcper'torwcrd, and their atthe proper time after such .torwsrd movement these chimps at the sidesare released, while the pa or is being held by the center front clamp,or the springs clesrly shown in Figs. 4 and .5 operate them to draw hackthe lateral clamps after heing so opened and released from the paper.

liming thus described myinvcntioinwhct I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let 1. In a feeding mechanism for looking and formingmachines, the combination of means for feeding a continuous strip ofmaterial along :1 group of parallel lines, means for feeding it at anangle to said parallel lines, said latter feed taking plrice at intervals, and means for changing the distance of the feed at certain pointsin said parallel lines, said means consisting essentially of a revolvingdrum having cam grooves cut.

therein of proper form to cause the required change (it feedingdistance.

2. In a feeding meclmnism for blanking and forming machines, thecombination of means for feeding a C(J'lltlllllOllS strip of mm terialalong a group of parallel lines, means for "feeding it at an angle tosaid parallel lines, said latter thed taking place at intervals, andmeans for changing the distimce, of the feed at ceriaii points in saidparallel lines, said means consisting of a cam drum havingcircumfereniial grooves cut, therein and curved connecting roovesbetween said circumferential groov some of which curved connectinggrooves connect together it dill'erent number of circumferential groovesthan do the other curved connecting grooves.

3. lo a feeding mechanism for blanking and forming machines, thecombination of means for feeding a continuous strip of material along agroup of parallel paths, said gripping of the clnmpin and clampingmechanism thereon tor gripping, the paper stock, means for feeding thestock at an angle to said parallel paths, said means includiiigmechanism for imparting intermittent motion to the clamping devices bothfor causing them to grip and to be fed bodily ij'ornhird, and means forchanging the distaum? of feed at certain points in the parallel lines ofmovement, said means comprising essentially a cam drum arranged to notuuic llic reciprocating carriage.

in a feedingmechanism for blanking and forming machines the combinationof means for feeding a continuous strip of mo.- lerial along paralleltransverse lines, means for changing" the distance of this feed atccrlain Joints in certain lines, means for feeding tie stocloat an angleto said group of parallel lines, and means for causing the letter feedto be intermittent at equal intervals, which means includes a clampingmechanism holding the stock, and a second clamping mechanism, the firstclamping mechanism acting to feed the paper forward once for eachtransverse movement, and the second clmnping mechanism acting to holdthe paper when released by the 'first clampin mechanism. i

5. in a fccdii'igg mechanism for blanking and tor-min g machines, thecombination with means for coding a continuous strip of ma tcrial backand forth along parallel paths, of means for clmnging the distance ofthe feed at certain points in said paths, means for feeding the stock atanangle to said parallel lines, said latter feed being for equaldistances and taking place intermittently, and said means'includingclamps reciprocable to cause the intermittent forward "Ford of thestock, nod 11 part of said clamp-' ing means operat ng to hold the stockwhen released by the use all the clamping means.

6. In a feedinp mechanism for blanking and forming machines, thecombination of a reciprocating carriage, clamping mechanism thereon forgripping the aper stock, a cam device for reciprocating t e carriage sothat it will travel at times a different distance from the travel atother times, and automatic mechanism tor controlling the opening andmechanism and the movement forward 0 the some in delivering the paperstock to the cutter.

7. In a feeding mechanism for blanking and forming machines, in which acontinuous web of paper stock or other material is brought under theaction of :1 die or punch, the combination of a'reciprocating carriagefor carrying the paper along parallel paths,

u cam device for propelling said-carriage unequal distances'atdifi'erent times so that the paper may he offered to the cutter so as tostagger the cuts in one row relatively to thosein an adjoiningrow,aclamp supported by the carriage and gripping the paper at or nearthe edges, a clamp also supported by the carriage and gripping thepaper, during the time when the other clamp is released from the paper,an automatic means for opening and closing the clamps at the proper timeand for moving a part of the clamping mechanism bodily forward with thepaper at certain times, said automatic mechanism including oscillatableshafts and levers connected therewith, which levers are controlled byirregular t 'acks on which they move.

8. In a feeding mechanism for blanking and forming machines, in which acontinuous web of paper is fed forward by intermittent impulse to theaction of adie or punch, the combination of a reciprocating carriage formoving the paper along groups of parallel lines, means for causing saidcarriage to travel intermittently for uniform distances along lines oftravel, clamping devices sup ported on the carriage for gripping the'paper at the edges, which clamping devices" are moved bodily forwardwith the paper toward the die at the end of each reciprocation of thecarriage, another clamping mechanism supported on the carriage forholding the paper when released by the lateral clamps, and automaticmeans including levers .and irregular tracks on which they slide foractuating the various clamps in closing and unclosing and throwingforward.

9. In a feeding mechanism for blanking I and forming machines, in whicha continuone web of paper is fed forward by intermittent impulses to adie or punch, the combination of a reciprocating carriage for moving thepaper along groups of parallel lines, a cam device for actuating saidcarriage, said ftlll'l device having circumferential grooves cut thereinand curved connects ing grooves between said circumferential grooves,some of which curved connecting grooves connect together a differentnumber of circumferential grooves from the other curved connectinggrooves, clamps on. the carriage for gripping the edges of the paper,another clamp likewise on the carriage for holding the paper whenreleased by the first named clamps, means for moving the latter clampforward carrying the paper there with, said means including a rotatableshaft,

a lever, irregular tracks on which the lever works, and means for\apening and closing the clamps.

10. in a feeding mechanism for blanking and forming .i'nachincs, thecombination of means for feeding the stock along a group of parallellines, said means including a reciprocating carriage and clampingmechanism thereon for gripping the paper stock, means for changingauton'iatically the distance the stock is moved for the first out ineach new row simultaneously with the advance ni0vement of the materialfor said new row, so that the cuts in any one row may alternate withthose in the preceding row, clamps for gripping the paper, an auxiliaryclamp for holding the paper when released by the first clamps, tracks ofuneven elevation for corn trolling automatic mechanism whereby theclamping devices are caused to be active or inactive and certain of theclamps are caused to be thrown forward, and springs for returning thelatter clamps to their normal position after each forward impulse.

11. In a feeding mechanism for blanking and forming machines, thecombinatibnlof a reciprocating carriageior feeding the stock alongparallel paths, a cam drum having grooves out. therein and operating toactuate, the carriage in such. a way that it may travel atdifferentdistances at certain points in some of the lines of travel, apair of lateral clamps for gripping the edges of the paper, anotherclamp for holding the paper when released by the lateral clamps,automatic leverage connections for opening and closing said clamps, apair of tracks whose edges are ot' unequal elevation from end to end' onwhich the said autmnatic mechanism travels and whereby it is controlled,automatic mechanism for throwing the pair of lateral clamps forwardtoward the die, irregular tracks for controlling the movement of thisautomatic mechanism, and means for returning the lateral clamps to theirnormal posi tion after being thrown forward.

1' n testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

ERJEST DE NEEN ANDERSON. liitnesses l-lowann H. Wimnams, :i'lERHER'lSOI'I'UBER'I.

